January 1940
- 1: 10,000 Japanese troops launched a counter-attack in eastern Shanxi Province in China in an attempt to relieve the nearly-surrounded Japanese 36th Division.
- 2: The Russian offensive in Finland is halted by several Finnish victories; numerous Russian tanks are destroyed.
- 7: Rationing of basic foodstuffs is established in the UK.
A major Finnish victory at Suomussalmi is reported; one whole Russian division is eliminated, and again numbers of military vehicles are captured. - 7: General Semyon Timoshenko took command of Soviet Army forces in Finland.
- 10: A German plane crashes in neutral Belgium. Onboard are the plans for Fall Gelb, these are discovered by the allies, causing a crisis situation.
- 16: Captured documents reveal Hitler's plans for the invasion of Scandinavia and a postponement of the invasion of France and the Low Countries until the Spring, when the weather is more compatible for an invasion.
- 17: The Russians are driven back in Finland and retaliate with heavy air attacks.
- 20: German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank Greek steamer Ekatontarchos Dracoulis off Portugal at 0415 hours, killing 6. U-44 had been hunting for Ekatontarchos Dracoulis for the past 6 hours.
- 21: A U-boat sinks British destroyer HMS Exmouth a crew of 135 are all lost.
- 24: Reinhard Heydrich is appointed by Göring for the solution to "The Jewish question."
- 27: Germany makes final plans for the invasion of Denmark and Norway
Read more about this topic: Timeline Of World War II (1940)
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